Wheatland is 0-4 against Lincoln since September of 2014 but things could change on Friday. The Wheatland Pirates will square off against the Lincoln Fighting Zebras at 7:15 p.m. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lincoln is hoping to do what Bear River couldn't on Friday: put an end to Wheatland's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Wheatland blew past Bear River 27-7. The Pirates might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 20 points or more this season.
The critical scores for Wheatland came from Joseph Franklin, Jordan James, and James.
Wheatland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 196 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Wheatland wouldn't let Bear River keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. Wheatland can thank James and Konley Cova for forcing all of them. Cova also set a new season high mark in rushing yards with 91. Wheatland got some further help from Isaac Martin: he picked up 0.5 sacks, made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss), and made nine total tackles (2.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception.
Meanwhile, Lincoln never let their opponents score on Thursday. They blew past Mira Loma 63-0 on the road. That 63 point margin sets a new team best for the Fighting Zebras this season.
Lincoln's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Eli Duff, who threw for 124 yards and four touchdowns on perfect 7-for-7 passing, and also rushed for 31 yards. Devin Davis was another key back, rushing for 122 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries.
Another reason for the win was Lincoln's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Hunter Johnson was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up 2.5himself. Brayden Bertozzi was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making seven total tackles (2.5 for loss).
Wheatland's record now sits at 4-0. As for Lincoln, the victory for them keeps them at an undefeated 4-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Wheatland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 192.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 242. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Wheatland suffered a grim 36-12 defeat to Lincoln when the teams last played back in September of 2017. Can Wheatland avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
